Hayata's performance in this match is comparable to Togami in the MD SF lmao, losing so badly I even felt second-hand embarrassment watching that match live
right now the problem of ShinoHari I think is that they lack a power shot to kill the rally or take the initiative. Both of them leans more towards outlasting their opponent compare to Sora Togami whose try to overpower and sacrifice safety to get points
after this Asian games, there's practically no spot left for Togami in LA except the P-card. That MD SF performance is just miserable, putting Matsushima in a 1v3 lmao
I did NOT think it would turn out like this especially seing how Wang played in M1, should have not stopped watching after Togami lost 🤣. Maybe the gruelling fight with Sora drained his physicality
Nahh, he fumbled the 2 point lead situation in G4, crawled up to deuce then proceed to lost the set. He just doesn't have a sense of placement and safety in his shot, and that causes him to tense up everytime key point arrives
oof for Kawakami, 2nd defeat in a row to Dima. Forehand quality was unstable, especially on counter topspin, serve receive is too monotonous, you do not face a vet expecting to beat him at his forte
He has the calmness that's rare for a table tennis player his age, I think the reason for the slip in G2 starts with Kobayashi doing the reverse pendulum which broken his momentum
Kawakami's tactical execution and adaptability is too mature for his age, I thought he was a goner after the slip-up at the 2nd set. Kobayashi reverse pendulum almost won him the match
Harimoto might be the most stable player in the modern game when he's on form. His passive blocking is incredibly well on both wing and he stands nearly middle of the table so to break that defense you either has to up your spin/speed quality or go for the wide angle to move him around. Defend -...
Even watching the highlights alone, having cut out all the service errors, you can still see Togami giving the match to Harimoto when he should have finish it 3-0, JNT should find a way to let Shinozuka soul possesses his body when he plays for real
he's a pretty solid player, strong mental, comprehensive technique close to the table, but right now he's in the dark horse phase, others don't have enough material to study his game throughout yet. But I'm expecting a stable top 20-30 in the near future